Methods and systems for providing an asymmetric Ethernet service

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing asymmetric Ethernet service are disclosed. An example method to provide asymmetric Ethernet service to a subscriber includes communicating at least a first portion of a subscriber data communication via a first asymmetric Ethernet connection between a first asymmetric Ethernet modem at a point of service and a second asymmetric Ethernet modem at a service provider location, communicating at least a second portion of the subscriber data communication via a second asymmetric Ethernet connection between a third asymmetric Ethernet modem at the point of service and a fourth asymmetric Ethernet modem at the service provider location, wherein the first and second asymmetric Ethernet connections provide a faster aggregated download bandwidth than an aggregated upload bandwidth to provide an asymmetric Ethernet connection between the point of service and the service provider location, and aggregating the first and second portions of the subscriber data communication for transmission to an Ethernet data network.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method to provide asymmetric Ethernet service, comprising:
 receiving a subscriber data communication at an aggregator located at a point of service; 
 communicating at least a first portion of the subscriber data communication via a first asymmetric Ethernet connection between a first asymmetric Ethernet modem at the point of service and a second asymmetric Ethernet modem at a service provider location; 
 communicating at least a second portion of the subscriber data communication via a second asymmetric Ethernet connection between a third asymmetric Ethernet modem at the point of service and a fourth asymmetric Ethernet modem at the service provider location, wherein the first and second asymmetric Ethernet connections provide a faster aggregated download bandwidth than an aggregated upload bandwidth to provide an aggregated asymmetric Ethernet connection between the point of service and the service provider location, the first and second portions of the subscriber data communication originating from a same device; and 
 thereafter aggregating the first and second portions of the subscriber data communication for transmission to an Ethernet data network. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the aggregated download bandwidth of the first and second Ethernet connections is higher than a first download bandwidth of the first asymmetric Ethernet connection and higher than a second download bandwidth of the second asymmetric Ethernet connection. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the aggregated upload bandwidth of the first and second Ethernet connections is higher than a first upload bandwidth of the first asymmetric Ethernet connection and higher than a second upload bandwidth of the second asymmetric Ethernet connection. 
     
     
       4. The method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating at least a third portion of the subscriber data communication via the first asymmetric Ethernet connection; 
 communicating at least a fourth portion of the subscriber data communication via the second asymmetric Ethernet connection; and 
 aggregating the third and fourth portions of the subscriber data communication for transmission to a subscriber at the point of service. 
 
     
     
       5. A system to provide asymmetric Ethernet service, comprising:
 a first asymmetric Ethernet connection to communicate data between a first asymmetric Ethernet modem at a point of service and a second asymmetric Ethernet modem at a service provider location; 
 a second asymmetric Ethernet connection to communicate data between a third asymmetric Ethernet modem at the point of service and a fourth asymmetric Ethernet modem at the service provider location; 
 a first aggregator to direct a first portion of an upload subscriber data communication over the first asymmetric Ethernet connection, the first aggregator to direct a second portion of the upload subscriber data communication over the second asymmetric Ethernet connection, the first and second portions of the upload subscriber data communication originating from a same device, and the first aggregator to aggregate first and second portions of a download subscriber data communication from respective ones of the first and second asymmetric Ethernet connections; and 
 a second aggregator to direct the first portion of the download subscriber data communication to the first asymmetric Ethernet connection, the second aggregator to direct the second portion of the download subscriber data communication to the second asymmetric Ethernet connection, and the second aggregator to aggregate the first and second portions of the upload subscriber data communication from respective ones of the first and second asymmetric Ethernet connections. 
 
     
     
       6. The system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the second aggregator is to transmit an aggregated upload subscriber data communication to an Ethernet data network. 
     
     
       7. The system as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the second aggregator is to transmit the aggregated upload subscriber data communication via a third connection having an upload bandwidth higher than the first asymmetric Ethernet connection and higher than the second asymmetric Ethernet connection. 
     
     
       8. The system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein the first aggregator is to transmit an aggregated download subscriber data communication to a subscriber. 
     
     
       9. The system as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the second aggregator is to transmit the aggregated upload subscriber data communication via a third connection having a higher download bandwidth than the first asymmetric Ethernet connection and the second asymmetric Ethernet connection. 
     
     
       10. The system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth modems is an asynchronous digital subscriber line modem.